The use of various constructions of needles and methods of effecting acupuncture points are known for five thousand years. Massage, heating, moxibustion, puncturing etc. belong to such methods. The proposed method is characterized by the action of a needle on reflexotherapeutic points of a patient.
The analogue of the proposed method is the method of providing a sedative effect in a patient by using corporal needles known since ancient times. The effect time of these needles fluctuates according to the known method within the range from 30-40 min to maximum 1-2 hours (G. Luvsan “Ocherki metodov vostochnoy reflexoterapii” (Scatches of Oriental Reflexotherapy Methods”, Novosibirsk, “Nauka”publishers, Siberian Department, 1991, p. 228).
The described method has the following drawbacks: in certain conditions such as pronounced pain syndromes (acute and chronic diseases, cancerous and traumatic pain syndromes), allergic diseases, treating abstinent syndromes etc. the action of corporal and auricular needles is limited by duration of one procedure; a patient is forced to attend one and the same procedures for a long time and the possibility of a more prolonged therapy is not provided. Further, as the disclosures relevant to the proposed method may be called the methods of action on acupuncture points of a patient by using the needles, as described in the book by G. Barashkov “Reflexoterapija boli” (Reflexotherapy of pain, “TM-Oko” publishers and NCMI “Universimed”, Moscow, 1995, pp. 185-186, 124-125; and in the article O. M. Kokhanovich “Tezisy respublikanskoy nauchnoy conferentsii “Nemedikamentoznye metody kupirovanija khronicheskikh bolevykh sindromov” (Abstracts of the Republican Scientific Conference “Non-medicinal methods for curing chronic pain syndromes”), published in 1989, pp. 73-74.
The drawbacks of the mentioned methods consists in that in the book by G. Barashkov a technique of a large puncture is described, wherein “a needle is introduced into one local point and taken through it up to another point . . . ”. That is, the needle does not come out from the point, and the needle outlet point, through which a free needle end comes out on the skin surface is not described in the recited source, which means that the needle end remains wholly in a patient body.
It is clear from the terminology used by the author of the known source that a traditional introduction of needles is described for a procedure treatment of a patient that is widely known and described practically in any reference books and monographs on reflexotherapy using needles. The said influence is limited by the action of one procedure. After completion of a procedure, needles are removed and a patient is prescribed a next procedure. When carrying out this method, a patient is dependent on a physician, since the courses of the said procedures are required to achieve a positive effect.
The same drawbacks are inherent to the method described by O. M. Kokhanovich, wherein the term “threading” is mentioned unlawfully, since a needle introduction technique is described in the said document as “horizontal-subcutaneous”, i.e., the needle remains in a patient body for an hour, one and a half hour and more (about two days), which is similar to the method described by G. Barashkov.
A lot of techniques and methods for correcting an increased body weight have been proposed. However, a majority of them (hypo-calorie diet, use of biologically active additives to food, enhancement of physical activity, use of suggestion and coding, massage and others) have certain limitations and not always take the effects desirable for a patient and a physician. In cases when their effect is achieved, then it is usually very unstable and often has a reversible character. At the same time, such factors as obesity history duration, type of fat deposition, age and sex characteristics of patients suffering from an excessive body weight are usually not taken into consideration.
Recently, high cost surgical methods of reducing the body weight such as plastic surgery and cryogenic lifting have found an increasingly wide use. There are a lot of contraindications to using the said methods (in particular, liposuction) because of a somatic pathology and different complications associated with their use. Furthermore, they are not available for patients in a majority of Russian regions, since carrying out these methods implies participation of a specially trained and highly qualified personnel as well as expensive equipment.
The Applicant is of the opinion that under the existing conditions, acupuncture reflexotherapy (ART) is an optimum method for correcting an excessive body weight that allows carrying out a therapy taking into consideration individual genotype of a patient, constitution of adipose tissue, reactivity state related to hormonal metabolism, structural and functional irritability of the appetite and satiation centers, as well as the types of unconditional reflexes associated with nutrition.
One of the known documents relevant to the method according to the present invention is the source describing a method for correcting an excessive body weight that comprises conduction at intervals of 14 days of auricular reflexotherapy procedures in the acupuncture points AP17,18,55,87 using micro needles, which are secured with an adhesive plaster for 14 days. A patient carries the needles and performs autostimulation of the points by periodic pressing the adhesive plaster every 30 minutes.
In a second procedure, the micro needles were removed from one auricle and they were introduced into the same acupuncture points of the other auricle. Further, several procedures of corporal reflexotherapy were conducted (RU 2,176,496).
The described method has the following drawbacks:
1. Leaving micro needles in the auricle for 14 days is not sufficient to achieve the effect of blocking the hunger center and developing alimentary reflex of an adequate appetite.
2. The use of corporal reflexotherapy by the particular points F13, RP10, 11, 16, E19-28, VB 25, 26, 29, 31, 33, 34, V19, 48 does not provide for a full coverage of the maximum fat deposition zones not allowing thereby to correct a body efficiently.
3. A short interval between corporal procedures (1 to 3 days) causes psychological discomfort, fear of pain as well as formation of hematomas in patients.
4. Procedure duration of a prolonged therapy of auricular points using micro needles is limited in view of a natural skin regeneration and desquamation of the upper epidermal layer that promotes rejection of an adhesive plaster, and falling out the needles therewith that requires a constant replacement of the plaster and reintroduction of the micro needles. Furthermore, the drawbacks also include non-esthetic appearance of the plaster itself as well as a possible occurrence of the skin maceration under it that creates the risk of infection.
The prior art document most relevant for the proposed solution in its part relating to “a method” subject matter is a method for reducing body weight and correcting the body (treatment of obesity), which comprises introduction of a micro needle with the end rounded in the form of a loop into one of the auricular points AP17, AP18, taking it through under the skin, putting out a second end of the needle from the other AP and fixing it using a clamp. The micro needle is left in the points for 60 to 360 days. Following introduction and securing the micro needle in the AP, manipulation on fat depots is commenced. Manipulation includes a deep digital massage of a fat depot zone for 5 to 10 minutes. Following completion of the massage, an acupuncture needle is introduced into a fat fold of the zone. The needle is repeatedly turned about axis thereof, adipose tissue is wound thereon and the needle is withdrawn with a sharp movement. In case of high degree obesity a trihedral acupuncture needle may be introduced. The rest zones of the fat depot are treated in a similar way. Subsequent fat depots are treated after a period of 10 to 60 days (RU 2233149).
The described method allows for enhancing treatment efficacy and maintaining the results obtained, however, it has a number of drawbacks including:
1. Insufficient effect on the auricular points of a patient,
2. Lacking opportunity of a step by step correcting a force and direction of a reflexogenic effect,
3. Since the treatment of obesity depending on the disease degree takes a long time interval, sometimes making up several months, when carrying out the known method a patient develops an adaptation phenomenon to the action of micro needles.
As the prior art document most relevant to “a device” subject matter, a golden needle used for the same purpose, may be mentioned; the needle is designed as a rod with a blunted end and a handle in the form of a round loop with a joint. A clamp in the form of a washer is put on a free end of the needle rod (RU 26402).
A drawback of the known device consists in that during exploitation of the device, the handle designed in the form of a loop may hook hair, clothes, terry towel etc., and thus promote withdrawal of the device from the placement zone and even loss thereof, since the needle has small dimensions, as well as it may cause skin injury with a subsequent development of a scar deformity.
Furthermore, the needle construction does not allow for enhancing efficacy of reducing body weight.